The Grass Isn’t Always Greener

As the season of Spring is just around the corner, I’ve taken some time to look closely at my yard. There’s a lot of work waiting for me when the sun begins to shine a little more. My lawn is in need of some particular loving-care. I was pondering on that old saying “The grass is always greener”. Some people spend their lives searching for their idea of a perfect life. It might include a wonderful relationship with family or spouse. Or a beautiful home, wonderful kids, or an exciting career. Some people dwell on the thought that their lives will be better when this or that happens. We’ve all done it if even for a short period of time. We compare our lives, our homes, our children, our career to someone else’s. And, we usually find ourselves lacking when we use this yardstick. So, we go about doing things that we believe will somehow make us happy. Our lives get busier, more complicated, and we usually find too late that all the fuss, money spent, and time lost didn’t get us any closer to the happiness we’re seeking.

You know, the grass just isn’t always greener at the neighbor’s house. It may appear to be greener, but it’s usually got some sort of fungus or cutworm underneath the surface. Even if it doesn’t have some sort of disease or bug, and it’s healthy, we need to realize that it takes a lot of effort to keep it green. The people around us who seem to have “perfect lives” never do. They work hard at making things better, they choose to spend their time nurturing their “lawns” and in the end, they have all had challenges along the way that no one could have imagined.

I decided long ago that it’s better to stick to my little old lawn, with a few brown spots here and there, and not worry about the neighbor. Someone once said, “there’s heartache within every home.” So, as you look at your neighbor’s homes, don’t compare yourself to their “perfect” life. You probably don’t know half of what they sacrifice for that life, and what challenges they’ve overcome. And, I can guarantee that you won’t willingly bring upon yourself the same sacrifices and challenges to get there. Stick to your own path, and enjoy the bits of green you do have in your lawn.